What Causes Restless Legs Syndrome?

What causes restless legs syndrome? I’ll discuss causes, symptoms and treatments later in the post. At length, restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition that causes a very strong urge to move the legs. Causing an uncomfortable feeling in the legs from the urge to move. Therefore, it typically happens in the evening or at night when sitting or lying down. Moving eases the discomfort for a short time.

Subsequently, restless legs syndrome can begin at any age and tends to get worse with age. It can disrupt sleep, which interferes with daily activities.

However, damaging the cells in your basal ganglia reduces the amount of dopamine in the brain. This causes muscle spasms and involuntary movements. Dopamine levels naturally fall towards the end of the day. This may explain why your symptoms are often worse in the evening and during the night due to this.

Symptoms of RLS

The chief symptom of restless legs syndrome is an urge to move the legs. It’s common to experience:

Uncomfortable sensations that begin while resting. For the most part, a feeling in the legs typically begins after you’ve been lying down or sitting for an extended time. It might happen while sitting in a car, airplane or movie theater.

Relief with movement. Overall, the sensation of RLS lessens with movement. Stretching, jiggling the legs, pacing or walking may improve symptoms.

Nighttime leg twitching. RLS may be associated with another, more common condition called periodic limb movement of sleep. In addition, this condition causes the legs to twitch and kick during sleep, possibly throughout the night.

People typically describe RLS symptoms as compelling, unpleasant feelings in the legs or feet. Otherwise, they usually happen on both sides of the body. Less commonly, the sensations affect the arms.

Feeling the sensations within the leg rather than on the skin. Describing them as:

Crawling.
Creeping.
Pulling.
Throbbing.
Aching.
Itching.
Electric.

Sometimes the feelings of RLS are hard to explain. Hence, people with RLS usually don’t describe the condition as a muscle cramp or numbness. They do, however, consistently describe the desire to move the legs.

It’s common for symptoms to get better and worse. Sometimes symptoms disappear for periods of time, then come back.

Causes of Restless Leg Syndrome

In most cases, the cause of RLS is unknown. However, RLS often runs in families and specific gene variants have been associated with the condition. Low levels of iron in the brain also may be responsible for RLS. RLS also may be related to a dysfunction in a part of your brain that controls movement.

When no cause of RLS can be found, Not knowing the cause of RLS, it means idiopathic or primary restless legs syndrome.

Research has identified specific genes related to restless legs syndrome, and it can run in families. In these cases, symptoms usually occur before the age of 40.

 Dopamine May Cause RLS

There’s evidence to suggest restless legs syndrome is related to a problem with part of the brain called the basal ganglia.

TParticularly, the basal ganglia uses a chemical (neurotransmitter) called dopamine to help control muscle activity and movement.

Dopamine acts as a messenger between the brain and nervous system to help the brain regulate and co-ordinate movement.

If nerve cells become damaged, the amount of dopamine in the brain is reduced, which causes muscle spasms and involuntary movements.

Meanwhile, dopamine levels naturally fall towards the end of the day, which may explain why the symptoms of restless legs syndrome are often worse in the evening and during the night.

 Underlying Health Condition May Cause RLS

In brief, restless legs syndrome can sometimes occur as a complication of another health condition, or it can be the result of another health-related factor.

Knowing this as secondary restless legs syndrome.

You can develop secondary restless legs syndrome if you:

have iron deficiency anemia (low levels of iron in the blood can lead to a fall in dopamine, triggering restless legs syndrome)
have a long-term health condition (such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, an underactive thyroid, or fibromyalgia)
are pregnant (particularly from week 27 until birth; in most cases the symptoms disappear within 4 weeks of giving birth)

 Triggers That May Cause RLS

Consequently, there are a number of triggers that don’t cause restless legs syndrome, but can make symptoms worse.

These include medications such as:

antidepressants
some antipsychotics
lithium (used in the treatment of bipolar disorder)
antihistamines

In addition, other possible triggers include:

excessive caffeine or alcohol
smoking
being a heavier person
stress

Treatments To Help With the Causes of RLS

Moreover, mild restless legs syndrome that isn’t linked to an underlying health condition can be managed with just a few lifestyle changes.

A person needs medication if the symptoms are more severe.

In fact, restless legs syndrome caused by an underlying health condition can often be cured by treating that condition.

For example, taking iron supplements treats iron deficiency anemia.

If you’re associating it with pregnancy, it usually disappears on its own within 4 weeks of the birth.

 Lifestyle Changes

Thus, a number of lifestyle changes may be enough to ease the symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

These include:

firstly, avoiding stimulants in the evening (such as caffeine, tobacco and alcohol)
not smoking (read more about how to quit smoking)
regular daily exercise (but avoid exercising close to bedtime)
good sleep habits (tips to beat insomnia include going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, not napping during the day, taking time to relax before going to bed, and avoiding caffeine close to bedtime)
lastly, avoiding medicines that trigger the symptoms or make them worse (if you think medication is causing your symptoms, continue to take it and make an appointment to see your GP)

During an episode of restless legs syndrome, the following measures may help relieve your symptoms:

firstly, massaging your legs
taking a hot bath in the evening
applying a hot compress to your leg muscles
doing activities that distract your mind, such as reading or watching television
relaxation exercises, such as yoga or tai chi
lastly, walking and stretching

 Medicine For RLS



     Dopamine Agonists

In particular, dopamine agonists may be recommended if you’re experiencing frequent symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

They work by increasing dopamine levels, which are often low.

Recommending dopamine agonists include:

ropinirole
pramipexole
rotigotine skin patch

In general, these medications can occasionally make you feel sleepy, so you should be cautious when driving or using tools or machinery after taking them.

Other possible side effects can include nausea or vomiting and dizziness.

In the meantime, impulse control disorder (ICD) is a less common side effect sometimes associated with dopamine agonists.

People with ICD are unable to resist the urge to do something harmful to themselves or others.

For example, this could be an addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping or sex (hypersexuality).

But the urges associated with ICD will subside once treatment with the dopamine agonist is stopped.

    Painkillers

A mild opiate-based painkiller, such as codeine, may be prescribed to relieve pain associated with restless legs syndrome.

In the same fashion, gabapentin and pregabalin are also sometimes prescribed to help relieve painful symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

Side effects of these medications include dizziness, tiredness and headaches.

    Medicines for Aiding Sleep

If restless legs syndrome is badly disrupting your sleep, a short-term course of medicine may be recommended to help you sleep.

In short, these types of medicines are known as hypnotics, and include zopiclone and zolpidem.

Sometimes recommending hypnotics are for short-term use (typically no longer than a week) help with the symptoms.

Consequently, you may find you still feel sleepy or “hungover” the morning after taking your medicine.

Conclusion

So, what really causes restless legs syndrome? Between 7% and 10% of the United States population has restless legs syndrome. Not to mention, it’s more common among white people and women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Your risk of developing it increases as you get older.

Living with restless legs syndrome (RLS) can be a constant annoyance. It interferes with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. When your alarm goes off in the morning, you may wish you could hit the snooze button a few more times. On the contrary, drinking coffee (caffeine) to cope in the morning may make your symptoms worse at night. While there isn’t a cure available for RLS, treatment can help you manage your symptoms, feel better and get back to a regular sleeping routine.